Improvement in marquetry



PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH DILL, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MARQUETRV.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,595, dated August 29, 1871.

To all lvhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DLLL, of Grand 1 Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Marquetry; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and sufficient description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyin drawing which forms part of this specification, and in whichl Figure 1 represents a piece of marquetry flooring constructed according to my improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing a modification of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of Figs. l and 2, respectively.

My invention consists in producing marquetry by means of double dovetails and pieces of keys, used in the manner hereinafter described.

I have shown in the drawing a piece of niarquetry as applied to flooring; but the same is applicable to the ornamentation of any plain surface, such as tables, tops of bureaus, Ste.

In the drawing, A A may represent the planks of a bottom floor, which are provided at suitable distances with dovetail grooves across their width, into which are slid the lower male dovetails of the double-dovetailed keys B, so that the upper male dovetail parts of the latter extend above the bottom floor. The opposite inclined side of each two keys B form, as will be easily understood, another female dovetail, into which the pieces C, of polished wood of various colors and grain, having their ends properly beveled, are slid, and thus form the desired design. These pieces may be secured more rmly, if found necessary, by glue or other suitable means.

Where it is desired to have one continuous surface, variegated Woods without the intervening keys being made to appear, the pieces C may be rabbeted at their lower ends on an angle, and overlap the keys so as to conceal the latter from view entirely, as shown in Fig. 2. The keys can be made of wood, iron, stone, or other material.

For many purposes the bottom planks A A need not be close together, but may be placed sufficiently apart to allow the ends of the pieces C to rest upon them.

In this manner a complete floor can be made in the separate pieces at the factory and transported in pieces to any place Where there may be no facility for making it, and there put down and put together, thus forming, so to speak, a portable marquetry floor or other work.

By means of my improved keys I can also lay a tile Hoor, such as is now laid with cement, as I need but slide the properly-beveled tiles between the keys. In this way a very handsome imitation-marble iloor can be laid with composition tiles representing marble at a very little eX- pense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

A marquetry floor or other surface, when constructed of the bottom pieces A, double male dovetail keys B, and sliding pieces C, substantially as herein described.

JOSEPH DILL.

Witnesses JOHN MGUAULEY, ARCHIBALD J. ROBERTSON. 

